IOC President Thomas Bach said there isn’t a reliable scientific method to differentiate between men and women.
As Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was getting ready to compete for an Olympic gold medal on Friday, Bach once again supported her right to participate in the women’s events at the Paris Games.
IOC calls for clear standards on gender identification, says president
“If someone can provide us with a scientifically reliable way to distinguish men from women, we would be the first to use it,” said the International Olympic Committee leader. “We don’t like this uncertainty.”
“What is not possible is someone saying ‘this is not a woman’ just by looking at somebody or by falling prey to a defamation campaign by a not credible organization with highly political interests,” he added.
NEW – IOC president says there is no solid scientific system on how to identify men and women.pic.twitter.com/VdXaXDPtIp
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 9, 2024
The IOC President mentioned that he won’t be attending either of the gold-medal matches at the Roland Garros tennis complex because he still needs to visit four of the 32 Olympic sports before the Games end on Sunday.
“But this has no impact on our very clear position,” Bach said. “Women have the right to participate in women’s competitions. And the two are women.”
Khelif and Li prepare for the Olympic boxing finals
Khelif is set to compete in the final of the women’s welterweight division. Meanwhile, Li Yu-ting from Taiwan will fight for the women’s featherweight title on Saturday. This follows global confusion and controversy over misunderstandings about their gender.
The debate at the Olympics reignited 16 months after both women were disqualified. And denied medals at the 2023 World Championships by the Russian-controlled International Boxing Association.
The IBA, which has been in a long and bitter feud with the IOC, alleges that both fighters failed a vague eligibility test for women’s competition. In Paris, boxing is being managed by an IOC-appointed team. However, they are using eligibility rules from 2016, which are outdated compared to other Olympic sports.
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